Final answer:
In 'The Gift of the Magi,' Della and Jim each sacrifice their most prized possessions to buy gifts for the other, but their actions result in an ironic twist as they render each other's gifts unusable.
Step-by-step explanation:
Della and Jim, the main characters of O. Henry's short story 'The Gift of the Magi', give up their most prized possessions to buy gifts for each other. Della sells her long, beautiful hair to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim's prized watch; meanwhile, Jim sells his watch to buy a set of ornate combs for Della's hair. This situation is ironic because each sells the very thing that the other's gift is meant to adorn, which results in gifts that can't be used as intended.